San Francisco 49ers executive Tom Gamble favorite for Jets job

The New York Jets were moving forward with their search for a new general manager, with 49ers executive Tom Gamble appearing to be the front-runner to replace Mike Tannenbaum.

Gamble, the 49ers' director of player personnel, met with the Jets over the weekend. He also canceled a second interview with Jacksonville and postponed a meeting with San Diego for its G.M. vacancies, according to published reports.

New York also spoke with Atlanta director of player personnel David Caldwell this weekend.

The Jets were still expected to interview Marc Ross, the New York Giants' director of college scouting, and in-house candidate Scott Cohen, the team's assistant G.M. under Tannenbaum. The meeting with Ross will satisfy the NFL's "Rooney Rule," which mandates that teams must interview at least one minority candidate for front-office and head coaching jobs.

But Gamble seemed to have the clear edge as of Sunday night.

ESPN reported Sunday, according to sources, that Gamble told the Jaguars he wasn't taking a second interview for their vacancy so he could concentrate on the Jets. NFL Network also reported that Gamble rescheduled a meeting with the Chargers, fueling speculation that New York might be moving close to a deal.